1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid application apparatus for applying liquid to a medium, and to an image forming apparatus and a liquid application method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technology for applying liquid to a medium by means of a cylindrical application roller is known.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-083180 discloses a composition including an application roller, which applies liquid to a medium, a back-up roller, which is disposed opposing the application roller, and a liquid holding member, which has a recess and abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the application roller and thereby forms a hermetically sealed liquid chamber (liquid holding space) with the outer circumferential surface of the application roller, the liquid being held in the liquid chamber.
According to the composition disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-083180, it is possible to simplify the structure that supplies the liquid to the application roller, but on the other hand, if the widths of the media (e.g., paper) onto which the liquid is applied vary, then the liquid deposited on the portion of the application roller where the paper does not pass is transferred to the back-up roller that forms the medium supporting member, and therefore the back-up roller becomes soiled, and moreover, since the liquid is transferred also to the rear surface of the medium against which the back-up roller is abutted, then the rear surface of the medium also becomes soiled.